Retired E8 AM writing this. I am looking for advise or suggestions from the field on where a new female coastie who wants to go BM might best start a career.

I am mentoring her and my 10 months on a black hull in the 70's leaves me lacking on current operations.

I can say with certainty she will be hard working, loves to learn and gets along very well with every one she meets.

TIA, Rob

My vote would be for any buoy tender. She can learn ATON, deck maintenance, rigging maintenance, navigation, and get qualed on the ship's small boat. She can pretty much do anything on one of those cutters. My first tour was on a 180 WLB, and I learned a great deal on that ship.

Hmmmm, not sure how there can be a best answer for this unless I had knowledge of a particular unit's command and knew the attitudes of the crew towards accepting females.

I served on the Chase, Station Merrimac River and Station Islamorada and with all three of those, they all seemed like a great place for a female to start.

Good luck with your research.

Don

I have often said.. SHIPS for all new boots coming out.. They will learn a better military structure of a sea going organization... My question to her would be. What does she hope to get out of her time in? Buoy tenders are very hard working, but she can still learn the basics for LE and SAR. But then again WMEC's or WHEC's are not bad choices either. I guess I am pointing you towards larger command and personnel units. Small boat station are hard for any new person, they have so much to learn in a very short time. Just some thoughts..